Double Date
by SammiiTee
Summary: "Oh," Mira squealed. "It will be like a double date!" "NO IT WON'T," the four disgruntled Mages cried in unison. / When Natsu, Lucy, Juvia and Gray learn that they will form a special team for a very, VERY important mission; a dramatic, frustrating and eye-opening adventure ensues. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. An Important Mission

**PLOT:** When a young man bursts into the Fairy Tail guild hall, screaming out for help; a confused Fairy Tail immediately allows him in as refuge. What he tells them sends shock waves of worry and panic throughout the guild. As a result, specially formed teams are deployed to investigate and resolve the issue… but when Natsu, Lucy, Juvia and Gray learn that they will be one unit, a dramatic, frustrating and eye-opening adventure ensues. Set some months after the battle with Alverez/Zeref and Acnologia.

 **AN:** Hey guys, so I had this random story idea where NALU and GRUVIA are forcibly thrown into a situation where they all have to deal with each other 24/7 for a period of time. I then thought it would be quite fun to write as they are my two OTPs and would have a funny dynamic as they all fight with each other. Alas, this is where this story was born LOL.

It's my first multi-chapter story fic in a while, so please be nice hahaha!

I'll do my best to keep them in character.

Also, as this is set after the Alverez Arc (which is obv not finished), it will be my take on what I think happens. So it will be spoilery if you are not up to there in the Manga. Speaking of which, who else is pissed at Gray? LOL

Anywhooo enough of my rambling, I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter! Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima

* * *

"Hmm," Laxus Dreyar breathed, shifting in his seat as he studied the photo in his hands. His thumb grazed over the picture, pausing for a moment over Gramps' goofy smile. There he stood, a small figure that seemed like an ant amongst the loud and boisterous wizards surrounding him.

The wizards that he had once called his children.

The same ones he promised to protect; a promise that he had most certainly stayed true to, to the very end.

The young man mustered a smile… he didn't know if it was a sad or content smile but it was a smile nonetheless. Laxus hadn't been in this picture, it was probably taken during the months that he was banished from the guild. _Heh_ , he thought… the petty days of him obsessing over power seemed so long ago now; but a mere memory that he hoped would slowly fade over time. Every time Laxus was reminded of the moment he pit his loved ones against one another, he couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over. Such insignificant, unneeded pain that he inflicted upon his family.

However, it was when Laxus thought back to the vile things he had told his grandfather… that was when he would break down. He should have been more grateful. He should have appreciated his Gramps. Instead, he wasted his time hating the fact that he was known as Makarov's grandson… as if that were a burden. How wrong he was.

Laxus had never been more proud of that fact.

It had been about half a year since the young lightning dragon slayer had had the duty of Guild Master entrusted upon him. To think… the role that he had once so desperately wanted that he turned to darkness for it… had now been given to him. He remembered believing how much power he could wield holding that title; how much influence he would have and how much he could manipulate others to do what he wanted. It was nothing of the sort.

Instead, Laxus decided to do his grandfather proud and accept the title with respect. That was his promise.

He glanced up from the photo, still gripping tight as he studied the newly built guild hall. He had forgotten how many times this place had had to go through renovations but he swore that this time… this time it would be preserved. For, this renovation was special; the hall's centre adorned in a marble memorial of Makarov Dreyar, Fairy Tail's 3rd, 6th and 8th Master… and its saviour. It was a token of appreciation from the guild, to honour the man who had sacrificed himself for his children… for them.

So, as Laxus watched each member of Fairy Tail enter the room, he looked on with pride. He vowed that he would serve them, protect them and do everything in his power to ensure that everyone in Fairy Tail, may they be existing members or new ones, searching for a home; were all safe.

That was his duty.

It was at that moment that Laxus suddenly felt a hard object shatter against his face and he yelled out in pain, raising a hand to his forehead. In the moment, he had forgotten about the photo and so, when he realised that it was falling from his grasp, the young Guild Master scrambled as he worked hard to simultaneoulsy catch the photo and rub his sore forehead.

Regaining his posture, Laxus noticed that a plate had just been smashed against his face and he jumped up, fuming. "WHICH IDIOT THREW THIS PLATE AT MY FACE!"

As his eye's met a certain fire mage's, he set the photo down and balled his fists, trying to calm himself. Of course Natsu had gotten himself in a brawl first thing in the morning and there that idiot was, throwing ignited chairs and cutlery at an equally pissed off Elfman who was blocking himself with a table.

"My bad," Natsu responded nonchalantly, uncaring of the matter as he dropped the objects and engaged in a fist battle with his guild mate.

"BE CAREFUL YOU BASTARDS," Laxus bellowed; sparks of electricity emitting from his body. If they destroyed the hall, or worse yet, the memorial, he couldn't even imagine what level of angry he would reach. He didn't want to think about it.

It was amazing though, how everyone had gone through so much over the last year - pain, loss, grief - yet were able to come together to rebuild their home and do their best to move forward. Although the overall mood in the guild was more solemn than it was before the Great War, it was calm. Not ecstatic, but happy. A lot quieter, yet still loud.

Everyone was getting there… it would take time but slowly… slowly Fairy Tail would be the light , reckless guild that it once was. It had to be, so those who survived the battle could carry on the legacy left behind by the ones who did not make it. And to ensure that the new generation will have a strong safe-haven to shine in.

Zeref was defeated. Acnologia gone. And somehow, through the bond and perseverance of every single Fairy Tail member, they had managed to save Natsu… the boy who was always fated to disappear. With his family's help, he defied the odds and _stayed_. That had to be worth something.

Fairy Tail had taken some hits… well many, large hits… but Fairy Tail had _won_.

So, as Laxus calmed himself down, he smiled again, enjoying the nostalgic shenanigans of the good-old hall brawl. He knew that everything would be okay.

* * *

 _Dear Mom,_

 _It's been six months. I never knew time could fly by so fast…_

 _A lot has changed, everyone is much more quiet. I'm a lot more reserved. It's hard not to be…_

 _I still think about that day as if it were yesterday. It makes me both sad… and happy. I'm sad because we've lost so much Mom… I miss the Master every day. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye… or to thank him. He accepted me as one of his own from the very first day…_

 _But I'm happy to know that you helped me, that you guided me. I thank my magic and my Celestial Spirits every day because somehow it keeps me close to you. It reminds me that you are always here with me. Thank you._

 _I think… this will be the last time I write to you, for now at least. I just don't want to disappoint you if I miss a letter… and I want to busy myself with work._

 _…I need to work to make myself better, to make you proud. I hope you understand._

 _But I think you saw this coming, didn't you? Hahaha, of course you did._

 _I miss you. Say hello to papa for me._

 _I love you both so much._

 _L.H_

 _P.s. I've read enough novels to know that if I find a boy I need to tell my mom about him… I think I've found one… but I don't really know. He confuses me. He also frustrates me so much. But I feel so happy when I am with him. I thought I would know what to do but I'm just so unsure of where we stand. How do you move from friends to more than that?_

 _P.s.s. I should probably tell you that you know him._

 _P.s.s.s. Don't tell papa._

With a graceful flick of that final 'a', Lucy put her pen down and reread her letter, sniffling with a sad smile as she did so. It had taken her months but she finally decided that it was time to move forward. Although she would never stop loving and missing her parents, the Celestial Spirit mage knew that every time she put that pen to paper, she dwelled in her past.

Recent events reminded her how special life was, to embrace the present and look forward to the future.

So instead of everyday, she would dedicate a day of writing once (or twice) a year to her parents and, in what would be that novel-length note, she would detail each important moment in her life to give her loved ones the best update she could.

Lucy reached for an envelope, carefully placed her folded letter inside and sealed it. Taking the pen once more, she neatly outlined 'For Mom, with Love', before opening her top drawer and putting it atop the rest of her letters.

She sighed as she closed the drawer, stepping in front of the bedroom mirror to study herself. _I look so tired_ , Lucy thought to herself, poking at her large dark circles. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, instead tossing and turning throughout the night; her mind reeling a thousand different thoughts.

It was difficult to get a peaceful nights' sleep these days.

Anyhow, it was morning and Lucy couldn't dwell on her lack of sleep, so she decided to shower and make herself up as much as she could to hide her panda eyes. Concealer should do the trick.

Once she was ready, Lucy checked her reflection again and nodded in approval at both her make up job and the cute outfit she managed to find. "Much better," she told herself enthusiastically, checking her pink top and black skirt; and hyping herself up for what was going to be a good day. That's what she would normally tell herself - it helped her stay positive and motivated.

Lucy made her way to the front door when she suddenly remembered and reached for her silver key. "I almost forgot," she began, pointing the key out ahead of her. "Open! Gate of Canis Minor, Nicolas!"

"Plue, plueee," came a soft, cute voice, to which Lucy happily picked up Plue, hugging him against her chest.

"How are you this morning?" She asked him, pausing at her front door and glancing back to her room, where the drawer full of letters was.

"Plueeee", he had replied.

Lucy smiled and nodded to herself, before closing the front door behind her and making her way to her favourite place.

* * *

"What the hell happened here?!" Lucy gawked when she entered the guild hall… only to see that it had pretty much been overturned. Tables and chairs were stacked and smashed on top of one another, plates and glasses were shattered, food had been thrown everywhere (with some sticking to the ceiling) and a line of wizards sat against the wall on one end of the room, holding ice packs to their heads.

"The usual," Mirajane shrugged as she walked past, picking up the mess that became the aftermath of the brawl.

Lucy noticed Laxus upstairs, glaring at those with the ice packs and shaking his head. A look of stress was also plastered across his face, as he wondered what to do to fix the damage. As the new Guild Master, pretty much all damage responsibility fell on him and he was still a rookie, trying to learn the ropes. Of course, dealing with the bunch that was in Fairy Tail was proving to be a difficult task. Everyone wondered how Master had done it all those years. How Fairy Tail wasn't forced to disband from all the ruckus and damage it had caused, no one would know. But they were lucky.

"It's your fault, Droopy Eyes," Natsu had muttered under his breath.

Gray, who had been using his ice magic to sooth the bruises on his forehead, angrily turned to the fire mage. "What are you talking about you idiot," he growled. "I was minding my own business before you and big shot over there," he motioned towards Elfman, "dragged me into it!"

Elfman was about to retort when a smack from Erza stopped them all from bickering. "You're all lucky you didn't destroy Master's memorial," the fiery red-head growled. It seemed as though she had just pictured the marble structure crumbling because it was at that moment that her eyes had narrowed even further and she drew her sword. The boys yelped and apologised, promising never to fight again (who were they kidding), before scurrying away from her.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. It reminded her of old times; the times where everything was much simple and happier. She, and everyone else in the guild, had worked their asses off to rebuild their home and start anew. It was nice to see them as themselves.

Lucy made her way to the bar when she noticed Natsu glancing at her from his table. She paused, blushing as she met his gaze. She could feel her cheeks heating up and she blinked, _Omg he's looking at me, what do I do!?_

 _What are you on about Lucy, it's just Natsu. And he's looked at you many times before._

 _But is this a different look now? I don't know, what should I do?!_

 _OMG you idiot just act normal and talk to him as you usually do. Stop overthinking!_

"Good morning Lucy, hello Plue" came a high pitched voice that Lucy knew all too well. She was also grateful for it at that moment because it broke her from her internal thoughts… the ones she had only recently grown to have whenever she and Natsu had had any kind of contact - may it be speaking to each other or something as simple as a glance.

Lucy turned and found herself facing a cute blue face. "Morning Happy," she smiled and pet him. "What's with the bruise?"

Happy motioned towards the right side of his head. "I had an apple thrown at me this morning," he then pointed an accusing paw at Jet, who was sitting at a table with Droy, holding an ice-pack to his eye. It seems as though he too was a part of the morning brawl. "He did it!"

"Ah, Happy," Lucy laughed as she sat at the bar, Plue and Happy in tow. "Could I grab a coffee this morning, Mira?" She asked, before saying goodbye to Plue and closing his gate.

"Of course," the silver haired Mage replied, and set to work.

Happy noticed Lucy glancing in his partner's direction, as she slouched over the bar and leaned her cheek in her palm. She was pretty much fully facing him, attempting to use her body language to invite him over as she seemed to be too awkward and nervous to ask him verbally. Of course, Natsu being as thick as he was, did not catch on and simply sat in his spot, eating his breakfast as he continued to just gaze at her.

Happy face-palmed.

How could Happy put it… Natsu and Lucy were in a weird place. They had said things to one another, done another thing, said another thing and then… they were stuck.

Long story short, they knew that they had feelings for each other. This was 100%.

Actually…everyone in the guild knew this… it was made especially obvious when Lucy did what she did when she thought she would lose Natsu during his battle with Zeref.

The problem was that the two were inexperienced and stubborn. They were also unsure of how to move from friends to more than that and so it was pretty much a tug-of-war for months now.

Natsu and Lucy were still extremely close; still a part of the same team. They just weren't sure how to act in front of each other anymore.

Natsu had broken his eyes away from the blonde Celestial Spirit Mage and met Happy's gaze as he shoved a fork of bacon into his mouth. Happy had been trying to grab Natsu's attention for a couple of minutes now, attempting to help him understand the message Lucy was giving him by motioning his head towards her and mouthing for Natsu to go over to her.

It was Natsu's deadpanned look of confusion that made Happy face-palm… again.

* * *

"So when are you going to stop picking fights with me," Gray asked, sliding across from Natsu with his own plate of food. He placed his food on the table, took a fork of eggs and pointed it at his rival. "You know you'll lose every time."

Natsu pointed his own fork back at Gray, "it's because you frustrate me. Just like you are now."

Both boys narrowed their eyes at each other, ready to throw obscenities too foul to comprehend when the rest of their team sat beside them, stopping their brewing fight. Especially because of the fact that Erza gave them both a hardened look as she sat beside Gray, silently letting them know she was watching.

Rather than her usual strawberry cake, Erza had opted for only strawberries this morning. She had announced a couple of days ago that she was going on a 'no cake for breakfast' diet. Natsu, Happy and Gray placed a bet that she wouldn't even last three days, whilst Wendy and Lucy had scolded them, stating that they should have faith…

They then placed their bets for a week tops.

Thus, every time Erza brought her breakfast to the table, the group would thoroughly watch her. Today was day three, so when the males grumbled a 'dammit', they quickly had to think of lies when Erza asked them why they were grumbling. Lucy simply gave all three of them a smug look.

Lucy, of course, had sat herself next to Natsu. Close enough that their shoulders were touching but not too close for it to be too awkward between them.

When Gray saw this, he rolled his eyes. He wasn't interested in constantly watching the two act awkward in front of each other. _This_ , he concluded, i _s why friends shouldn't date each other. Especially if they're in the same team._

 _But they're not even dating_ , Cana had responded when Gray discussed the matter with her.

Gray had rubbed his temple as if he were in pain, _So can you imagine if they were?_

"Have you guys heard about the recent wizard disappearances?" Erza had suddenly asked, which caught the tables' attention.

"Wizards are disappearing?" Gray asked.

Erza had nodded and begun explaining the reports and how the new Magic Council had set up paroles to watch the streets for suspicious activity, as well as guard those with magical abilities. Apparently it had worked for the first month or so however, after an attack on a couple of paroles, the incidents started reoccurring. When she stated that members from Mermaid's Heel and Quatro Puppy were amongst those missing, everyone at the table gasped.

"Oh no," Wendy breathed.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Lucy asked and Erza shook her head.

"Magic council wants to keep it on the down low to avoid panic. Which means we can't act on it either."

"So what?"

"Natsu," Erza warned. "We can't afford to go against the Council right now. Everything is just getting back to order. We just need to remain vigilant and be careful."

Natsu huffed and sat back, deciding to go against pressing the matter. Erza had a point.

"WE'RE BACKKKK," came a gruff voice from the front door and all attention turned to a proud Gajeel, standing at the guild entrance with his arms wide. His hands were adorned in jewels, seemingly a gift from the job he had just gone out on. Judging by his excitement and smugness, he must have been rewarded a huge amount.

"Levy-san!" Lucy exclaimed jumping up from her seat and running over to her best friend, catching her in a tight embrace. It had been about three weeks since Levy, Gajeel, Lily… and Juvia left for their mission. "How was it?"

Levy laughed and lifted a briefcase; its heaviness suggesting something of value inside.

Once Lucy saw the amount of money stacked in that briefcase, she immediately regretted not going with them on the mission. If she had, her share would have been able to cover at least three months rent!

Juvia however, had made a quiet entrance into the guild hall, much on the contrary to Gajeel. The blue-haired water mage waved to her guild mates, before taking a seat at Lisanna and Elfman's table. What had made her actions different to the Juvia that everyone had known was that although she happily said hello to everyone, she avoided making any eye contact with Gray. In fact, she avoided him completely.

Juvia would have normally jumped at the sight of him, excited to be in his presence to tell her 'Gray-sama' all about her adventures. In fact, she would have gone on the mission with him rather than third wheeling Levy and Gajeel. At least she had Lily…

But not now. Now it was different.

It also explained why Gray suddenly tensed as soon as the four of them entered the guild hall. Erza noticed this and shook her head disapprovingly. She let out a small sigh, there was nothing she could do to help them, no matter how hard she had tried.

However, it was the screeching sound of a young boy, maybe around fifteen years old, running into the guild that immediately caught everyone's attention. The boy had a small frame, seemingly underfed as he was very skinny. He had short orange hair and a pair of broken glasses, whilst his clothing looked like rags, as if found in a rubbish bin.

"HELP, HELP ME," He shrieked, crashing into Gajeel, who had turned around and caught him.

"Are you alright, boy?" He asked, a look of worry crossing his features.

"PLEASE HELP ME," the boy repeated; his breathing ragged and heavy. "THEY'RE COMING FOR ME!"

"Who is coming?" Levy asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. It was there, where she noticed a faded wizard guild mark.

By this time, the entire guild had surrounded the boy, asking what was wrong, who was coming, what had happened and telling him to come in for some water and food.

The state of him sent Fairy Tail into overdrive, where Laxus ordered that everyone do their best to provide shelter for the boy and to find out what happened. He then proceeded to contact the Magic Council at which he, along with Erza and Mirajane, ended up in a two hour long meeting.

* * *

Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Juvia stood there quietly, processing the task that they had just been given. A special, secret mission… for who knows how long… and just the four of them…

"There's no way in hell," Gray muttered, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Not happening."

The Ice Mage found himself facing off against Erza's nasty, narrowed gaze, so he swallowed his words and hesitantly accepted the quest paper; one that had just been sent by the Magic Council. He wasn't getting out of this one.

Mirajane's bright eyes of azure turned to a new level of blue as she clapped her hands in excitement, "Oh," she squealed. "It will be like a double date!"

"NO IT WON'T," the four disgruntled Mages cried in unison.

This is going to be interesting.


	2. The Train Station

**AN:** Thank you so much for the reviews, favourites and follows! It motivated me to pump out another chapter :) I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm still setting up the scene but we're getting there!

Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima

* * *

Juvia squeezed her eyes shut as she heaved the half-packed suitcase from the floor and onto her bed. The what-should-be black compact bag seemed to weigh a tonne and the water mage wasn't even half finished!

 _How does Juvia have so many things?_ She wondered, pausing her work to study her belongings. Variations of blue had filled the suitcase, mostly being her signature dress and hat; some make-up, toiletries, sanitary care, some towels, shampoo and conditioner, bed sheets, shoes, underwear, swimwear… okay maybe she was overdoing it a bit. Surely they would stay at a hotel with most of these already supplied… right?

The young mage had spent the last few hours in a briefing with Erza, Mira, Laxus, and her soon to be teammates. The task that they had been set was an extremely important one; one that had ultimately been entrusted upon them by the Magic Council. The ruling body believed only Fairy Tail were capable of this mission and although Juvia felt honoured to have been given such a responsibility, she also wondered why _she_ was chosen. She had never really been a part of Team Natsu, only ever tagging along because of Gray-sama… Gray, she meant.

Why couldn't Erza, Wendy and Charla go with them instead of her? Why had they been allocated elsewhere when everyone knew that no one could be a more compatible team than the original crew. In their team, Juvia was the outsider… and no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she had finally come to accept it. Because lets face it, everyone knew the only reason she had gone on previous missions with them was because of a certain ice mage. If he wasn't there, she wouldn't have been there either.

"So silly," Juvia mumbled to herself, adding even more elements to her already heavy suitcase. As if by an old instinct she grabbed a small plushie, about to place it in her bag when she paused and stared at it. What used to be one of many had grown to just one and Juvia suddenly found herself holding back tears that she hadn't realised were there.

The plushie's dark eyes stared back into hers, their dullness breaking Juvia's focus. She coughed and placed it to the side in her room. Actually… she wondered if she should store it away like the rest of them. Yes, that was probably a better idea.

So Juvia grabbed the Gray plush toy once more and reached for a sealed box underneath her bed, opening its latches to reveal her stored memorabilia; the toys, pillows and photos that had grown to represent a large part of Juvia.

A part that she decided to lock away - figuratively and literally.

 _I'm sorry Juvia… but this… this shouldn't be a surprise to you._

Juvia shook her head at the sudden memory; a wave of disappointment washing over her. It was as if her mind was aiding her, allowing her to relive that moment from a few months ago in order to stop hesitating and place the toy in the box.

He had given her his answer. She was now ready to give hers.

Juvia gently placed the plushie in the box and closed the lid, tightening its latches before she slid it back underneath her bed and went to finish packing.

The blunette was nervous. Having been placed in a team with Gray, after avoiding him for the last few months was going to be a confronting experience. Not only that, but she would also have to go through that whilst Lucy-san and Natsu-san figured out what was going on with their relationship…

Juvia just knew that this trip was going to be very uncomfortable.

Because that was supposed to be her fairy tale ending after the battle.

"NO!" She suddenly scolded herself aloud. No, you know what… it was time to ignore the silliness and focus on the important task that very important people had given her. This past half year has seen Juvia drastically improve her magic; her training and missions with Gajeel and Levy providing the water mage with many opportunities to develop herself _without_ distractions. Juvia had been an S-Class wizard, something of which she forgot about. She had now been tasked with a special, S-Class mission and so it was now time to put her training to good use.

The disappearance of wizards throughout the country was a serious issue, even more so when a young wizard runs into the guild begging for help because someone had come after him purely because of his magical abilities. Alone and defenceless, he had been attacked, which only showed just how ruthless this culprit was. Add to the fact that these occurrences were on the rise, attacks were more frequent _AND_ the Magic Council was panicking over it… yeah it was pretty damn serious.

It seemed as though they had just found peace after the battle with Zeref.

The town was still in the process of recovery.

Fairy Tail had only just managed rebuild their guild hall.

Yet here was something else, threatening to destroy this unfamiliar state of serenity that Fairy Tail had fought so hard for.

With a final zip of her suitcase, Juvia straightened up. There were definitely larger issues at hand that were much more important than her broken heart. Nothing else mattered, she told herself. She was going to focus and work hard, despite who she was grouped with.

She would do her best.

* * *

Night had fallen when the four mages, with Happy of course, set out on their journey. By the time they were briefed and packed, and then briefed again to ensure everyone understood the task at hand; the baby blue sky of day had turned to the dark of night.

It was about eight o'clock when a carriage had pulled up to take Natsu, Lucy, Juvia, Gray and Happy to the train station, with the desired stop at Clover Town, located on the eastern border of Fiore. It was there, were the five would venture into Bosco. Although it was late, the train was a 24 hour service, which enabled Fairy Tail to act immediately rather than wait until morning. After all, time was of the essence and the trip was going to be a long one, with a scheduled commute of approximately 10 hours, give or take when Natsu would need rest stops for his motion sickness.

Bosco wasn't their final destination however, it was merely the first stop of their mission. For; the mission that Neo Team Natsu was given was to follow the leads and undertake a secret investigation in order to uncover the culprit behind the disappearances. The young boy, who was named Riku, outlined that a gang of large men followed and attacked him with a weapon of some sort. That was all he could remember, stating that he couldn't focus too much as he was too busy trying to get away. It wasn't much of a lead… but it was something. At least the Team knew to be mindful of any weapons. The Magic Council, in their mission statement however, outlined that many disappearances had been occurring in Bosco, which is why the group of wizards were headed there now.

It was drilled into them to keep on the down low as much as possible, so as to not draw attention. Whenever they discussed the matter, they were to do it in private, ensuring no outsider could hear and most importantly, they were to keep their magical abilities a secret as much as they could - which meant that they were to mask their Fairy Tail insignia.

"So why is _Natsu_ here?" Gray had accusingly asked, "he is the loudest one in the entire guild. You're trusting _him_ to be low-key?"

Natsu had been about to retort when Erza interrupted him with a smirk. "That's why you're going with him. You're experienced in reigning him in."

"He's experienced in making it worse!" A panicking Lucy had interjected. "They're both going to give us away first thing!"

"Thanks…" Natsu and Gray had mumbled in unison.

Sitting in the bobbing carriage now, Lucy found herself deep in thought. As Bosco was a country known not much more than for its forests and farming, Lucy had found it strange that that was where most of the disappearances where occurring. There were no major wizard guilds registered from there… well none that she knew of. What else could be going on? And were they even going to the right place? Erza had also mentioned earlier that members from Quatro Puppy and Mermaid's Heel were missing, which meant that Fiore wasn't safe either… and that was scary.

Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Juvia and Happy were the only team venturing beyond Fiore, which placed each of them under an obscene amount of pressure. They also wondered why the five of _them_ were a unit, which was a common worry shared between them all. To make matters worse, Mira had annoyingly said it was like a double date and although they denied it (apart from Happy, who seemed to revel in the fact); it sure as hell felt like it. What this meant was that no one was completely comfortable; it became the elephant in the room and the more they stayed quiet, the more they dwelled on Mira's words.

Especially seeing as everyone knew about what was going on with Natsu and Lucy… and equally as much between Gray and Juvia.

"It's scary," Lucy spoke up, deciding to break through the silence in the carriage. All attention turned to her, "how wizards are suddenly disappearing…"

"It's alright Luce," Natsu reassured with a comforting smile, whilst simultaneously battling his motion sickness. "We'll get… to the bottom of it."

Gray rolled his eyes, mumbling the words _incompetent idiot_ in response to Natsu's weak tolerance of the road. It had been SO long.. surely he should be used to travelling by now.

Juvia, who was sitting beside Lucy, glanced outside and stared up into the sky, studying the crescent moon and accompanying stars, shining bright. She agreed with Lucy, it was a scary thought; the fact that wizards were a target had placed everyone on high alert and it was something that sent a discomforting feeling throughout the guild. It all sounded like they were being targeted just because of their magical abilities and although magic was celebrated—

Wait… maybe it wasn't…

The carriage had passed through a small village when Juvia noticed the rubble of what used to be some small farmer's villas. The fields around these broken homes were flat, burnt as a result of the Acnologia's onslaught. As it was dark, the homes were encased in a black shadow, making them look creepier than they were.

"Do you think people might be angry at us?" Juvia suddenly asked, turning back to Lucy. As she did, her eyes flickered over Gray, unable to help herself. The serious expression plastered upon his face, and his body language of folded arms told her that he wasn't enjoying this trip at all. Furthermore, the fact that he was avoiding making eye contact with her, even as she spoke… for some reason it annoyed her. "Humph", Juvia breathed and focused on Lucy instead.

"Us?"

Juvia shuffled in her seat uncomfortably. "You know… after everything that happened? How we destroyed everything?"

Natsu scoffed through gritted teeth as he held the vomit back; his motion sickness taking over, "Why would… people be angry at us? We saved them! They… should be thankful."

Lucy and Gray however, pondered at the thought. Maybe Juvia had a point… had the recent destruction as a result from the battle with Zeref and Acnologia pissed off the common people? Surely this wouldn't be the case, as each Fairy Tail mage was always seen as a shining star by the people of Magnolia. They had even rebuilt the guild hall for them after they returned from Grand Magic Games, victorious!

Gray furrowed his brows as his mind reeled a thousand thoughts. Although possible, he had lived in Magnolia long enough to know that the people wouldn't turn against them. He hated to admit it but he agreed with Natsu.

"Natsu is right," he finally said. "It wouldn't be the people."

"Hm," Juvia breathed, glancing at the ice mage once more; seemingly forgetting her frustration at him as her eyes tried to meet his.

A sudden bump in the road caught everyone off guard, even more so when the carriage came to an aggressive halt.

"Woah," Gray yelled, instinctively outstretching his arms to protect the girls seated across from him. Natsu hadn't reacted to the carriage's movement, too busy dealing with his raging headache and churning stomach.

When each wizard stepped outside… only to find that the train station was but a pile of rubble in the dead of night, they glanced amongst each other. What on Earthland happened here, they wondered, moving forward to investigate. The station was one that connected Magnolia to all major stops in the region, Clover Town being one of them! It was always bustling with wizards and people from all walks of life, at any time of day and night. However, as they studied it now, it was virtually abandoned; a ghost town with dishevelled tracks, a derailed train and the station as nothing but debris.

Juvia gasped in horror as she surveyed the place, taking careful steps over the stone and bricks that lay in a pile ahead of her. Natsu, regaining his posture after his carriage ride from hell, used his fire magic to light torches for everyone. He handed one to Juvia, "be careful not to trip," he told her when he noticed her moving throughout the rubble.

Juvia nodded in gratitude before she resumed studying the mess. "What happened?" She couldn't believe the extent of the damage… and it seemed to be recent too because she could still smell the burning ember of the flames that had destroyed the station.

Natsu sniffed out the place, using his dragon slayer abilities to try and determine what went on. "I think it was an explosion of some sort… it doesn't smell like natural fire…"

Lucy brought her hands over her mouth, "Someone blew up the place?"

Gray glanced around, trying to spot any sign of life but to no avail. It was only them, and the carriage driver who simply sat in his seat… shocked at the sight before him. That was when he thought… had people been hurt? Were there casualties here, amongst the rubble?

As he began searching, he noticed Juvia climbing atop some of the mess, moving bricks around as she thoroughly scanned the area. It was at that moment that her weight pushed the brick she had been standing on down and she lost her footing…

"Ah," she squeaked, dropping her torch.

Instinctively, Gray jumped forward. "Careful," he said, catching her arm to stop her fall and help steady her.

She immediately tensed in his grip and glanced up at him, "Thank you," she breathed and shifted out of his hold. The awkward silence that followed was uncomfortable; both mages not knowing what to say next. So Juvia nervously chuckled, attempting to ease the tension, "Juvia nearly hurt herself there, she should be more careful next time."

Behind them, she saw Natsu and Lucy scanning the area together and instantly felt a sense of envy. But she brushed that feeling away just as quickly, taking a step back from the ice mage. Gray had picked up Juvia's torch and handed it to her, about to say something when Happy flew in, yelling.

"SOMEBODY IS STUCK UNDER THE RUBBLE," he screeched, to which everyone immediately reacted and ran over to where Happy was pointing. However, when they only saw an arm sticking out from underneath the mess, they knew that the victim had suffered an unfortunate fate.

A trickle of blood ran down the poor soul's arm, dripping onto the bricks below. Lucy turned away, a wave of emotion hitting her as she realised the extent of the issue at hand.

There was definitely something more sinister going on.

However, when she had turned, Lucy noticed something that made her jump. "Hey… HEY!" She suddenly screamed and scurried away from the group towards the carriage.

Natsu, Gray, Juvia and Happy, confused by the Celestial Spirit mage's strange reaction, turned to see what was going on. It was only then that they also yelled out and ran after Lucy towards the carriage.

… to where the carriage had once been. Now it was just their luggage.

"YOU BASTARD," Gray roared, his fists glistening with ice. "COME BACK HERE!"

But it was no use. The driver had rushed off, leaving their belongings… and them, to fend for themselves on foot… in the middle of nowhere… and in the middle of the night.

"Great," Gray mumbled, "this is fucking great."

There was a moment of silence before Natsu laughed in excitement. "At least I won't be sick now!" He cheered, enthusiastically grabbing his bags. Travelling on foot was his forte. "Let's go!"

It seemed as though their 10 hour trip to Bosco was quickly turning into one that would last 10 days. And that was only the beginning.

* * *

 **AN:** As you can probably tell, I'm channeling my frustration with Gray through Juvia hahaha. Silly ice mage.


	3. Unforgiving Blossoms

**AN:** Thank you to all who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story! It inspires me to keep writing! Just a note that the italics section indicates a flashback.

Anywhooo, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Also, as a response to some of the reviews, this is a Gruvia fic, don't worry :) I just enjoy angsty Gruvia hehe.

Fairy Tail Belongs to Hiro Mashima

* * *

Gray grumbled as the first rays of the sun forced his eyes open. With a few blinks he had completely woken, allowing the light to shine down onto his face. The ice mage didn't move, instead choosing to lay there and stare up into the sky. It was a clear day, which contrasted with the unclear situation he had been placed in.

Last night was an adventure in itself - after setting off on his journey, the last thing Gray expected was to find a wreckage of the train station. It came as a shock. After the long and difficult battle that he, and Fairy Tail fought against Zeref, he had wholeheartedly believed that they eliminated all threats with his defeat. Zeref was the dark wizard; an instigator of evil… and he was gone. So why were bad things still happening?

Gray sighed, of course the world couldn't be a perfect, peaceful place. It wasn't how it worked. Foolish, he thought; scolding himself for starting to believe otherwise. Darkness, pain and loss were things that Gray was completely familiar with, he should have just continued to expect nothing less.

But then… they had _won_. It was only fair that he started to see light; a bright future that he could share with his loved ones.

"Heh," the ice mage scoffed and rolled to his side. There he saw Natsu, Lucy and Happy all sound asleep around a burnt out campfire. They weren't who he aimed to focus on however, so a sense of disappointment washed over him when he noticed that the place where Juvia had been sleeping in… was vacant.

Gray simply stared at the empty spot; his mind suddenly reeling a thousand thoughts. Her being awake so early wasn't a surprise to him because he was well aware that Juvia was an early riser - living with her for six months taught him that. He suddenly remembered that moment of his life, which seemed like such a long time ago now.

Juvia had had a routine every morning; one that she would never fail to follow. She would wake up at 6am, make breakfast and place it on Gray's bedside table as he slept, then get herself ready for the day before doing the daily chores and running errands, usually going into the village for groceries. Gray would usually wake between 7 and 8 o'clock, give or take how long he stayed up the night before; always to the smell of warm, homemade breakfast. He had tried to tell the water mage that she didn't have to do that for him, yet she always refused to listen, stating that she was more than happy to cook for her 'Gray-sama'.

That was when Gray decided that in gratitude, he would prepare tea for Juvia for when she returned home from her grocery shopping trips. He had felt bad that she did most of the work, albeit it was voluntary on her part. And every time she saw that cup of tea waiting for her when she came home, Juvia would jump in glee, exclaiming how thankful she was that he had thought of her. Gray always made her iced tea however, struggling to make the drink any warmer than 0 degrees.

Forcing himself to focus on the present, Gray sat up and stretched, cracking his back in all the right places. Sleeping on the ground was never comfortable and having to set up a last minute campfire in the middle of a forest, after hours of walking in the middle of the night… yeah it wasn't fun.

How they had all managed to get into this situation, Gray didn't know but he had to figure something out. Otherwise, this mission would last forever! They couldn't just walk to another country, that was crazy and no matter how much Natsu was an advocate for it, there was no way that Gray would agree to making this trek on foot. Especially given the fact that he was teamed up with the very person he was trying to avoid… and who was avoiding him just as much.

Gray was always good at hiding his emotions and pushing them back as if they were the least of his priorities. But that was because there was a much bigger threat at hand, so he was always preoccupied. Now however, he found himself dwelling on these things called his feelings and not only was he not used to that… he also did not like it either. It made everything way more complicated than it should be and Gray was a simple man.

 _If you didn't like her, you should have just told her_ , he had scolded himself. _But I did tell her, she just didn't listen… and then… and then I started to not not like her… and now I don't know what the hell is going on._

* * *

 _Her hair of azure swayed gently with the breeze; its colour made even more vibrant from the oranges and magentas cast by the setting sun. She was leaning against the balcony, her back to him when he entered and in that moment, she had never looked more beautiful. He didn't need to see her face to decipher that… he was well aware of her physical beauty._

 _But the fact that she was there; that she was alive… he couldn't find the words._

 _Gray glanced down to his abdomen and placed a hand over his still-recovering wound. Seeing it sent a wave of pain through him, yet it wasn't from his stomach. Rather, his chest… the memory of witnessing Juvia do the exact same thing… of her dying for him, right before his eyes…_

 _He couldn't do it anymore. He had to give her his answer. That's what he had promised her, on this very balcony, and now that the battle was over, that was what he was going to do._

 _Gray took a step forward, his heart thumping a million miles an hour as he did so. This was such an unfamiliar sensation but he decided he would just wing it… he couldn't dwell on it any further. It was time._

 _It was when the ice mage took another step that Juvia turned to face him and when she did, he froze in his tracks. She smiled at him but it was a sad smile, made evident by the tears that had glistened down her red, swollen cheeks._

* * *

"Good morning," came a voice from behind the trees and Gray turned, unsurprised at what and who he saw.

Juvia stumbled into the campsite, her arms filled with an abundance of fruit and vegetables she had discovered whilst exploring the surrounding area. Using her magic, the water mage was forging a water basket, which was topped to the brim with produce - very convenient, because it was simultaneously being washed. The pile in the basket obscured her ability to see ahead, which was made obvious when she tripped over herself but Juvia was experienced enough to steady her footing. She set the fruit down successfully, wiping a sweat off her brow with a proud look plastered upon her face.

"Where did you find all this?" Gray asked, rising to his feet in excitement. He didn't realise how hungry he was until he saw the food. Even though it was only fruit and vegetables, it was still something. He grabbed the shiny, bright red apple on top of the fruit pile and chomped, relieving his hunger.

Juvia pointed behind her, "Juvia discovered a farm back towards the road!"

Gray raised his brow, taking another bite. "You stole this?"

Juvia paused, his wording catching her off guard. She had been lucky to find that farm and she very well knew it was wrong of her to pick at their crops… but she didn't have any other choice! They were all stranded and starving, unable to find anything to eat the night before. She committed a crime for the good of her team; they needed the nutrients to successfully continue on with their mission… and you know, not starve to death!

"Ju… Juvia knows it was wrong but she had to, we need to eat something!"

Gray mustered out a small laugh as he finished the apple and reached down for some more fruit, "I know," he said, picking from a pile of berries. "You were always good at organising breakfast… thank you."

A small silence ensued and Juvia stared at him for a moment, before breaking her gaze away from his, shifting in her spot. He remembered that? "You don't have to thank me," she finally said, sitting down on a nearby log. "Juvia enjoys gathering breakfast for everyone."

 _For him_ , she always enjoyed making breakfast for him… but of course she wouldn't say that. Not anymore at least, which was something that she was still trying to wrap her head around. Ever since that night on the balcony the two had avoided each other and because Juvia kept her distance, she started to believe that moving on could become a possibility. Ever since she embarked on this journey however, she found immense difficulty in staying true to that.

Which was not meant to happen. She was meant to focus.

Although she wasn't as overt as she had once been, she still could not ignore him - she lost count at how many glances in his direction she made, or how sudden some fantasies found themselves brewing in her mind.

Juvia had been mumbling to herself and did not notice Gray take a seat beside her. He maintained some space between them, unsure of whether or not sitting any nearer would spark an unwanted reaction. Her head was down, facing the ground and her brows furrowed. Gray swore he heard her whisper 'stop being silly' but he wasn't quite sure.

The ice mage coughed, turned to Juvia and coughed again, feeling awkward. "So uh," he began and she stopped mumbling, "how… have you been?"

Juvia paused and began twiddling her thumbs. Gray knew her enough to know that such a motion meant she was nervous. She then turned to face him, smiling. "Great," she said, a little too enthusiastically, "Juvia has been very busy with missions and training!"

Gray simply nodded, a blank expression plastered upon his face. He ignored the sudden, strange feeling he experienced as she smiled at him. He hadn't seen that smile in a while. "That's good to hear."

"Put some pants on you pervert," a gruff, irritating voice suddenly spoke.

"Oh shit!" Gray jumped, his undressing habit never seeming to go away no matter what. He seized his bottoms and immediately dressed himself, avoiding making any eye contact with Juvia. There he was, trying to speak to her after months of not doing so and he just had to undress. Top it off with an extremely annoying fire mage interrupting his conversation… fucking great.

Juvia couldn't help but laugh.

"Natsu, look!" Happy pointed to the basked, his voiced filled with excitement. "We have food!"

The boy immediately focused on the basket and leaped forward, taking multiple pieces at once. His stomach was roaring, as if Igneel was still in there. He inhaled the food, unable to believe that he was actually eating. As someone who was constantly in the kitchen, stuffing his face; Natsu couldn't bear the thought of having a moment where food was not an option. Such a moment was last night and the fire mage had suffered through it, complaining the entire way. It was only once he got tired that the need to sleep took over his need to eat.

He never really favoured fruits and vegetables, usually opting for high protein meats. But at that moment, anything was the equivalent to a big, fat piece of steak and he savoured every bite.

"Make sure you leave some for Lucy, Natsu-san," Juvia mused and Natsu paused, his hand hovering over the basket. There were only a few pieces left… dammit.

Of course, Lucy was the last one awake. The celestial spirit mage sat up and noticed the food straight away. "OH, breakfast!" She beamed and joined the team at the logs.

* * *

The sun was blaring down, its rays burning Lucy's bare shoulders. She huffed in exhaustion; her forehead sweating so much that she may have well been showering and she sighed. "Gross," she shook, trying to wipe away the liquid emitting from her body.

Although they were walking through a forest, its' trees didn't do much to shield the group from the Sun's UV, especially given the fact that they had been walking for a straight five hours. Lucy wanted to summon Horologium, claiming that she couldn't take it anymore but Gray told her to suck it up. If they had to walk, she had to make the trek on foot as well.

"Let her do what she wants," Natsu protested.

"It's alright Natsu," Lucy interjected, just hoping that the two wouldn't start fighting again. "It's only fair that I walk too."

Natsu huffed, crossing his arms. "You have the magic, why not use it to your advantage? There's nothing wrong with that."

"It's better that I preserve my magic power," Lucy smiled. She hadn't realised that her cheeks were slightly rosy; a result of Natsu defending her.

Natsu had simply nodded and began forward… when he paused again and turned back to Lucy, scratching his head. His eyes were narrowed in confusion, as if he were trying to work out something in his head.

"Are you alright?" Lucy began.

"I.. uh…" he was trying to find the words. "If you need a rest, I can carry you… if you want to be carried that is."

Lucy's slightly rosy cheeks turned a bright red at Natsu's proposition. Her reaction garnered a scolding from herself, to herself. Why on Earthland was she so nervous and giddy… Natsu had carried her many times before. It was nothing new, ' _so just stop blushing!_ ' Given, the other times he had helped her like this was when she was injured and it was impossible to move. This time it was different, so her accepting his offer would mean something different too.

 _Why am I even debating this, obviously it's different!_ Lucy continued to internally yell at herself.

Meanwhile, the pink haired dragon slayer felt his anxiety grow the more he waited for an answer from her. He noticed Lucy blush and he couldn't help but enjoy the effect his question had on her.

"She liiikkeeees him," Happy sang, flying around above them. "He liiiikeesss her!"

"Shut up!" They yelled in unison and Gray rolled his eyes, removing himself from their situation. He did not want to watch their couple's spat, or whatever it was.

Juvia had been standing there quietly, studying her surroundings whilst they sorted themselves out. She too didn't want to watch them, for fear that she would focus on Gray. She was curious however... she had never been to this part of the country before!

The leaves seemed… greener here. They glistened under the sun, emitting an array of natural, vibrant colours, which were further emphasised by the different species of flowers on the ground. Juvia didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks on her but she could have sworn that the flowers were lit up. She wasn't sure if that was because of the sun or the plant itself… but it was strange. She reached down to pick one, when the flower suddenly recoiled and Juvia jumped a little, not expecting it to move.

That was when she had glanced around, noticing that all of the plants were moving on their own accord. "Interesting," she breathed in fascination as she watched them shift away from her hands.

"What are you up to, Juvia?" Lucy asked her and Juvia turned to find herself facing both Natsu and Lucy. It seems as though the blonde mage accepted Natsu's offer, where she now had her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, whilst he held her in a tight piggyback. Gray had walked up behind them, evidently frustrated at both wizards. They wasted a lot of time.

"Oh," she began, startled by the sudden attention on her. "Look, these flowers move!"

Happy stepped forward, curious. "Really?" He gawked and pointed his paw towards the plants. When they recoiled, he gasped and continued to tease them, feeding off of the reactions that they were giving him.

"How strange!" Lucy exclaimed, "they light up too!"

"Juvia noticed that as well!" Juvia exclaimed.

Gray had taken a step forward to investigate the plants; the idea that they were able to move on their own was not sitting well with him for some reason. This sounded oddly familiar to him, yet he couldn't figure out where he had heard about animate flowers…

"I've read about these somewhere," he said as everyone continued to play with them, ignoring his words. Lucy had in fact asked Natsu to pick one for her, to which he accepted. As his hands were tied (Lucy wasn't the lightest… of course, he wouldn't tell her that), he asked Happy to do it.

The cat had just clipped a bud with his claws when Gray suddenly yelled "WAIT," remembering exactly what these were… but it was too late. Happy had already given the clipped flower to Lucy.

Juvia turned to Gray in worry, "What's wrong?"

Dread consumed the ice mage to the very core, his eyes growing wide as slowly, but surely, what were once the pretty, lit up flowers; were now slithering upwards like snakes. Each bud was now adorned with petals that had razor sharp teeth, ready to attack. No one else had noticed this yet, as they were completely oblivious - Juvia was waiting for Gray's response to her question, Lucy and Happy admiring the flower bud, and Natsu too busy trying not to drop Lucy.

"MOVE," Gray bellowed, pushing Juvia behind him just as one lunged forward, barely missing her head. He had caught it in his grip, breaking it in half; a move that only angered the rest of them.

"AH" Natsu yelled, losing his footing by Gray's sudden reaction and he fell backwards, accidentally dropping Lucy.

"OW! NATSU!" She responded angrily, rubbing her head but as she did, she froze in terror at the sight behind Natsu. "LOOK OUT!"

Just as the fire mage turned to see what Lucy was yelling at, a wall of ice appeared before him, blocking the oncoming attack from the snake-like flower. "What the hell!?"

Gray had his arms wide apart as he cast his _Iced Shield_. "This is the Unforgiving Blossom," he yelled, panting from using his magic power. The buds had been constantly attacking his shield, slowly chipping away at it. It wasn't long before they break through the ice. "I read about them in one of Levy's books… they attack if they are picked!"

Happy glanced at the bud he had given to Lucy, "Woops…"

The plants aggressively lunged forward, hissing as they did so. "Their teeth can cut through magic, the ice won't hold much longer, so be ready to attack!"

Lucy was on her feet in an instant and grabbed her whip as she assumed her battle position, whilst Natsu's fists ignited in flames. "What's that spraying from their… mouths?" Lucy asked in both confusion and terror.

"Venom," Gray simply answered, as a small hole was pierced through the ice. It was at that moment that the shield shattered and the flowers lunged forward, teeth bared. Each mage jumped backwards, doing their best to avoid both the teeth and the spraying venom.

" _Water slicer!_ " Juvia yelled as she forged her liquid razors, which flew through the air and sliced a good number of the buds clean from their stalks. A howling screech sounded from the others; the effect from her magic obviously severely hurting them.

It had infuriated them and their anger was suddenly directed only at the water mage. Juvia made a swift side step, only just dodging the incoming attacks but the constant acrobatic movement was tiring her. It was only a matter of time until she was bitten…

"I've got you!" Lucy shouted; her _Fleuve d'etoiles_ wrapping around the stalks that were aiming for Juvia. With one, aggressive motion, Lucy pulled them away from her with a strength that she didn't know she had.

"Thank you, Lucy-san" Juvia breathed, steadying herself.

...It wasn't long before the entire plantation was engulfed in flames; Natsu raging war on the flowers with his _Roar of the Fire Dragon_. They ignited so suddenly, red flames encasing all of the flora in their immediate area.

"Too far!" Lucy yelled, suddenly worried that this would cause a catastrophic bushfire.

Sourcing water from some of the bushes surrounding her, Juvia raised her arms, " _Water Nebula_ ," she commanded, sending two waves of rotating water straight towards the flames and putting out the fire almost immediately.

The result had varied - part of the forest was burnt to a crisp, thanks to Natsu's impulsive, over exaggerated use of fire like usual… and another part was completely dried out, courtesy of Juvia's efforts in extracting nature's water.

Natsu turned to his team, "Problem solved," he said, placing his hands on his hips as a smug look crossed his features. The Unforgiving Blossoms were very much dead. "Oh… and thanks Juvia, for putting that out," Natsu motioned to where the fire had been burning.

The water mage laughed nervously, studying the wreckage that they had just caused. What was once a beautiful section of the forest… was nothing now.

"We're going to get into big trouble for this," Lucy mumbled, her shoulders hunching over in fear when she thought about how Erza would react if she ever found out… and she probably would. All forests were protected grounds.

Gray turned to his teammates, glancing accusingly at Juvia, "Next time you see some flowers, and you think they're pretty," he then glared at Lucy, "or you want your idiot boyfriend to pick one for you, for the love of god, don't fucking touch them."

This fiasco had delayed them by a couple of hours, which was especially not needed when their trip was already extended by _days_. So, leaving this newly destroyed section of the forest, Neo-Team Natsu continued on their journey to Clover Town, where they all hoped that they would find some form of efficient transport to finally get them to Bosco... except for Natsu of course, who continued to argue how walking was the better option.

Little did they know that someone had been watching them, very closely.


End file.
